THE ABABDEH OF NUBIA. 297 



This ocular peculiarity gives them a somewhat ferocious appearance, and many 

 of them might certainly be accused of cruelty. They are often spoken of by 

 travellers as men without pity or honour, and avarice is their ruling passion. 

 Cheerful, inquisitive, and garrulous, they converse with animation. While few of 

 them are of a religious temperament, they have nevertheless preserved a few 

 practices of an origin anterior to Islam ; they never kill the serpent or the par- 

 tridge, which latter they look upon as a sacred bird. 



From the linguistic and geographical standpoint, the Bisharin form a connect- 

 ing link between the Hamitic populations and the Egyptians. The demotic and 

 hieroglyphic inscriptions of Meroë are supposed to be written in their ancient 

 dialect. Property amongst the Bisharin is not personal, but common to all, being 

 divided amongst the families or tribes. Some parts of the steppes are, moreover, 

 considered common property, all the tribes having the right to graze their herds on 

 these tracts. The great courage of the Bisharin is made manifest in the rules 

 regulating their duels. Each man in turn seizes a knife, which he thrusts into his 

 adversary's body, taking care not to wound him mortally ; the elders act as umpires, 

 praising or blaming the attitude of the combatants, and separate them when honour 

 seems to be satisfied. Amongst some of the tribes adultery is considered a very 

 minor fault ; the nobility of the race is transmitted by the women. 



The Ababdeh of Nubia. 



The Ababdeh, " Arabs " of African origin, probably the Gebadéi of Pliny, are 

 said to have nimibered 40,000 at the period of Kussegger's voyage in this country. 

 But they appear to have diminished greatly, having doubtless amalgamated with 

 the Bisharins, whose hereditary enemies they were at the time when they con- 

 stituted a powerful nation. Their principal tribes are encamped in Nubia, the 

 others overrunning the region of plateaux and ravines comprised between the Nile 

 and the Red Sea, as far as to the north of Kosseïr. 



The Ababdehs call themselves " Sons of the Jinns," as if to point out that they 

 are aborigines born in the desert. They somewhat resemble the Bisharin ; but 

 their features are more delicate, their movements more graceful, and their disposi- 

 tion milder. The northern Ababdeh speak Arabic intermingled with Barâbra 

 words, those of the south have retained their Beja dialect, whilst the predominating 

 language amongst those in the vicinity of the Nile is said to be that of the Bar- 

 barins. Klunzinger has ascertained that the Ababdehs of Kosseïr refuse to speak 

 their national tongue before strangers, as they think that to reveal their mysterious 

 dialect would bring ruin upon them. Evil would also fall amongst their family if 

 a girl were to set eyes on her mother after her marriage. Hence, as amongst the 

 Bantus of southern Africa, the Ababdeh husband is expected to select for his i-esi- 

 dence some distant place where he is never likely to meet his dreaded mother-in- 

 law. 



Unlike the Arab, he does not live under the tent, but builds a hut with hxirdles 

 and mats, which he pulls down and transports on camels, when it is necessary to 



